News & Updates

No More Glass Tasting Glass

Although the festival has utilized a glass tasting vessel the past two years, the Portland Police Bureau has required the festival to return to plastic for safety reasons; attendees should be satisfied with this year’s alternative, which is a high-quality, 14-ounce polycarbonate glass made in Finland. You must purchase the glass in order to consume beer; prices remain the same as last year, and the glass costs $7 (one time purchase for the entire event). Beer is purchased with wooden tokens, which cost $1 apiece. Patrons pay four tokens for a full glass of beer, or one token for a taste. The purchase of glasses and tokens is made on-site (although there are a handful of local businesses that sell them up to two weeks prior to the event).

OBF features Kiwi contingent from New Zealand

Continuing its foray into featuring international craft brewers, the Oregon Brewers Festival has invited five brewers from New Zealand to come to the event along with their beer. The Kiwi contingent includes Tuatara, Yeastie Boys, Garage Project, Panhead and ParrotDog. Select styles from these breweries will be featured in the festival’s International Tent along with daily meet-the-brewer sessions. The International Tent encourages a long-term cultural exchange with brewers around the world as part of a collective celebration of great craft beer. These five brewers are in addition to the 90 breweries that will be sending beer for the main tents.

2014 Oregon Brewers Festival Generates $32.6 Million for Local Economy

A recently completed study estimates the economic impact of the 2014 Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) at $32.5 Million, a 3.8 percent increase from the 2013 festival.

Jeff Dense, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Oregon University, and a team of students and volunteers administered 759 on-site interviews at this summer's OBF from July 23 to 27.

The analysis utilized IMPLAN (IMpact Analysis for PLANning) data and software package to estimate the economic impact of the festival on Multnomah County. The 2014 OBF generated an estimated $20.9 Million in direct, $6.1 Million in indirect (additional input purchases made by local businesses) and $5.5 Million in induced (expenditures by employees from wages paid by companies in direct contact with tourists) economic impact.

One of the most important findings of the study is the increasingly important role women are playing in the craft beer industry; nearly half (44.8%) of this year's OBF attendees were female.

Respondents were queried on demographic factors, along with estimates of OBF related expenditures in tourism-related categories, including transportation, lodging, meals, gasoline purchases, non-beer related recreation, beer purchased to take home, and expenditures at the OBF.

Findings of the study include:

• A majority (56.8%) of OBF patrons were out-of-town visitors.

• Visitors from Washington, California and Canada comprised 30.6% of total OBF patrons.

• 41.1% of respondents were attending OBF for the first time.

• 25.4% of OBF patrons were 50 years or older.

• The average out-of-town visitor spent $674.

• Lodging ($9.1 Million) accounted for the largest share of OBF expenditures.

• State and local government received $1.87 Million in indirect business taxes.

• 42.3% of OBF patrons utilized mass transit to attend the festival.

This was the fourth year of the study; 2011 estimated the estimated economic impact of the festival at $23.2 Million, 2012 came in at $30 Million, and 2013 showed $31.2 Million.

OBF on Next Stop TV

Our good friend Jon Olson with Next Stop TV was at this year's OBF, and the show is now available to watch. If you want to skip directly to the OBF, fast forward to 3:46. Cheers! Next Stop TV.

Don't Drink and Drive

Hey OBF fans, don't drink and drive. For $15, RideOn Portland will pick up you, your party AND your car and drive you home safely to anywhere in Portland. That's a steal! Call 503-235-RIDE(7433) or visit www.rideonportland.com